Tag Archives: performances

ASAP 2025 presenting Catch and Release on August 21st

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Catch and Release
Culminating performance for the 2025 Aanmitaagzi Summer Arts Program

August 21, 2025 at 7 pm
Big Medicine Studio
161 Couchie Memorial Dr, Nipissing First Nation

Aanmitaagzi and the participants of the 2025 Aanmitaagzi Summer Arts Program are pleased to invite you all to Catch and Release, the culminating performance for this year’s program. The artists and youth participants have been working hard since the beginning of July to develop and prepare for this presentation through singing, dancing, regalia making, storytelling, visual explorations, attending pow wows, and other arts activities. The collaboratively created and performed work is an investigation and expression of indigenous dance and storytelling that has grown out of these activities and what lies in the hearts and minds of everyone involved. The presentation is free to attend and all are welcome.

The Aanmitaagzi Summer Arts Program (ASAP) is an annual 8-week intensive in indigenous performing and visual arts. Now in its eighteenth year, the program is led by award winning and renowned professional indigenous artists and educators. The program gives indigenous youth the opportunity to learn, share, express and create alongside our professional multi-arts team, guest artists, and community-members in a collaborative, inter-generational, and welcoming space.

Catch and Release is co-created and performed by:

Lead Artists – Sid Bobb, Penny Couchie, Katie Couchie, and Darren Nakogee with special guests Doreen Bellaire and Animikiikwe Couchie-Waukey

Program Participants – Albany Benson, Ouske Couchie-Bobb,  Lukas Driedger, Autumn Hookimaw, Mya Katt, Markus Lazary, William McGrath, Tayton  Mianskum, Malia Mathias-Mizzi, Niibin Nakogee, Finn Rice, and Shania Splane

Set by Sherry Guppy with Laura Linklater-Wong and Paige Linklater-Wong

Aanmitaagzi wishes to thank the Government of Canada through the Canada Council for the Arts and the Canada Summer Jobs Program, the Ontario Government through the Ontario Arts Council, Mushkegowuk Employment & Training Services, Moose Cree Training & Employment Unit, and the North Bay Indigenous Friendship Centre’s Apatisiwin Program for generously supporting the 2025 Summer Arts Program.

 

CONVERSATIONS coming to the Capitol Centre on August 9th

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CONVERSATIONS: Hidden Stories

Aanmitaagzi Story Makers & Vanguardia Dance Projects

August 9th at 7:00 pm
Betty Speers Theatre – Capitol Centre
150 Main St E, North Bay, ON

After premiering in Kitchener earlier this year, Aanmitaagzi Story Makers & Vanguardia Dance Projects are excited to bring CONVERSATIONS: Hidden Stories to the Capitol Centre in North Bay as part of ON THE EDGE Fringe Festival’s 2025 Duality program. This will be a one night only performance. Admission is free, but the festival is accepting PWYC donations to help offset costs.

CONVERSATIONS: Hidden Stories is a dialogue of bodies extended in various latitudes of the Americas. Starting from the investigation of “body and territory” by the Colombian-Canadian choreographer Olga Barrios, this work seeks a conversation between women through the Americas, seeking a South-North echo. Barrios’ research/creation explores the traces of Indigenous heritage that have been erased in her journey, as has happened with many people in various places in America and the planet. This work is based on the woman of many colours that she experiences in herself and with the many other voices in the world that seek connection with ideas of traces erased from history.

Production Credits

Dancers & Text Creators: Norma Araiza, Olga Barrios, Penny Couchie, Animikiikwe Couchie-Waukey, Lilia León
Composer & Sound Designer: Edgardo Moreno
Projection Artist: Alejandra Higuera in collaboration with Olga Barrios
Costumes: Jennifer Kelly
Lighting Design: Trevor Schwellnus
Installation Artists: Aanmitaagzi with Sherry Guppy (lead), Sid Bobb, Penny Couchie, Katie Couchie, and Olivia Shortt.
Director & Choreographer: Olga Barrios
Stage Manager: Kelsey Ruhl

Locations of work development: Big Medicine Studio (Nipissing First Nation), Arcadia Artists Co-op & National Ballet of Canada (Toronto)

On stage canvas installation developed by Aanmitaagzi artists in collaboration with the participants of the 2023 Aanmitaagzi Summer Arts Program at Big Medicine Studio in Nipissing First Nation.

About the Companies:

Vanguardia Dance Projects is a collective focused on creating, presenting, promoting and supporting works of dance artists with Latin American and Indigenous backgrounds living in Canada. We intend to promote an ongoing exchange and collaboration with international dance organizations and artists. We are interested in the dissemination of contemporary artistic practices of dance artists with Latin American background in Canada, maintaining conversations with the rest of the country and the world. We support innovative artists that include other art disciplines pushing the boundaries of what is called “contemporary” as well as works that, having dance as the core, reflect a permanent search of expression through different languages. www.vanguardiadanceprojects.com

Aanmitaagzi Story Makers is an Indigenous multi-disciplinary artist-run company based in Nipissing First Nation. Linked to provincial, national and international networks, we are committed to fostering a vibrant arts community through community-engaged projects that promote well-being, strengthen relationships with the land, and incorporate intergenerational approaches and methodologies. We combine art-making, education, professional development & social activism through contemporary and customary arts, nurturing historic Indigenous arts practices and exploring how these practices can be carried forward in a meaningful contemporary context. www.aanmitaagzi.net

House Concert & Open Mic – May 4, 2025

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Aanmitaagzi is hosting a House Concert and Open Mic session on Sunday, May 4th from 1 to 5 pm. Kicking off with an amazing set by Migizi Country (Dan Commanda & Leland Bell), the afternoon will continue with songs, stories, and spoken word performances from guests and audience members. Pre-registration is not required, but is appreciated if you plan on taking a turn at the mic. Light refreshments will be served and all are welcome.

For more information, or to sign up for the open mic session, please contact Sid Bobb at (705) 474-2227 or aanmitaagzi@gmail.com.

Hope to see you there!

New Weekly Workshop Schedule leading up to Ice Follies

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Winter workshop schedule
January 21 – February 6, 2025

Aanmitaagzi is continuing to host weekly drop-in workshops in the weeks leading up to the opening of Ice Follies on February 7, 2025. Through these workshops, Aanmitaagzi’s artists and community participants will develop stories and pieces that explore the themes of All My R(el)ations and Ice Follies’ theme of “Ozhaashikwaa” (The Ice is Slippery). The workshops will take place at Big Medicine Studio – 161 Couchie Memorial Drive. They are free to attend and newcomers are welcome.

NEW WORKSHOP SCHEDULE

Tuesdays

All Ages Multi-Arts with Sherry Guppy & Sid Bobb
3:30 – 5:30 pm  
A multi-arts drop-in class for artists of all ages. Activities will include drawing, painting, storytelling, crafts, dance, textile work, and more as we develop installation pieces for Ice Follies! Materials will be provided.

Choreographic Exploration & Story Creation with Penny Couchie
6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Contemporary dance and movement explorations, and guided written and visual activities to explore the stories and themes of All My R(el)ations to develop performance pieces for Ice Follies.

Wednesdays

Choreographic Exploration & Story Creation with Penny Couchie
6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Contemporary dance and movement explorations, and guided written and visual activities to explore the stories and themes of All My R(el)ations to develop performance pieces for Ice Follies.

Thursdays

Community Dinner
5:15 pm – 6:00 pm
A time to gather and share a meal with our artists, workshop participants, and community members each week.

Pow Wow Making & Jam Night with Sid Bobb & invited guest artists
6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Weekly drop-in making & jam sessions for all things pow wow. Bring your regalia, beadwork, or other unfinished projects to work on or bring your voice and/or an instrument for singing, drumming, and dancing! Sid Bobb and other invited guest artists will be on hand to help out and join in the fun.

For more information, please call Sid or Penny at 705-474-2227 or email aanmitaagzi@gmail.com.

Ice Follies 2025

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Ice Follies Celebrates Local Creativity in Honor of North Bay’s Centennial | February 7 – 21, 2025

For Immediate Release:

[North Bay, ON, January 8, 2025] – Ice Follies, Northern Ontario’s premier biennial festival of contemporary and community-engaged art, returns to the frozen expanse of Lake Nipissing from February 7 to 21, 2025. This 11th edition of the festival highlights local artists as part of a special celebration of North Bay’s Centennial, showcasing the area’s deep cultural roots and artistic talent.

In addition to its signature on-ice installations at Shabogesic Beach, this year’s festival expands its footprint to include Olmstead Beach on Trout Lake, with special events designed to bring the festival closer to more of the city’s residents.

Under the theme “Ozhaashikwaa” (The Ice is Slippery), Ice Follies 2025 reflects on the resilience and adaptability required to navigate the shifting landscapes of our community and environment. This year’s installations explore themes of connection, collaboration, and history, offering a uniquely Northern perspective.

Reflecting on the origins of Ice Follies and its enduring legacy, festival founder and participating artist Dermot Wilson remarked: “In 2003, when I first stepped out onto the ice of Lake Nipissing, I thought ‘this is like a blank canvas…white cloud-filled sky and equally white plain of snow stretching out to an almost invisible horizon’. Over 20 years later, this icy site still helps artists and audiences alike to discover the freedom and expansive embrace of the Canadian winter.”

Not-to-Be-Missed Festival Highlights:

  • Opening Night Performance by Aanmitaagzi (February 7): A powerful community event to kick off the festival at Shabogesic Beach.
  • Family Day Activities on Shabogesic Beach (February 17): Free community engagement for all ages.
  • Listening Party Events (February 15 & 16): Hosted at Olmstead Beach on Trout Lake, these intimate evening gatherings will feature sound-based art and storytelling, creating a unique and immersive festival experience.

As always, Ice Follies is free to attend and open 24/7, offering visitors the opportunity to experience the installations in the unique interplay of light and ice, whether during the day or under the stars.

About Ice Follies:

Founded in 2004, Ice Follies transforms the frozen shores of Lake Nipissing into a dynamic gallery of contemporary art every two years. Co-presented by local arts organizations Aanmitaagzi, Near North Mobile Media Lab and White Water Gallery, the festival creates space for audiences to engage with contemporary works that reflect upon Northern Ontario’s unique cultural and environmental identity.

For more information on Ice Follies 2025, visit: icefollies.ca.

Ice Follies is made possible thanks to the generous support of our funders, sponsors and community partners. We gratefully acknowledge our 2025 funders: Canada Council for the Arts, Ontario Arts Council, Canadian Heritage, NOHFC, FedNor, City of North Bay and Tourism North Bay.

Media Contact:

Jameson Toye
Ice Follies Communication Officer
705-476-6402
medialabnorthbay@gmail.com